How Tía Lola Ended Up Starting Over Read Free Page A

breaks up with him? And who could blame her for getting cold feet at the prospect of marrying an unemployed man with three young daughters?
    “This will be an opportunity to make people happy, to make yourself happy.” Tía Lola goes on to describe the many guests who will come to their B&B, the happy times they will have, the oodles of money these guests will spend. “They will shop at Estargazer’s store; they will eat at Rudy’s café; they will get gas at Johnny’s Garage and buy pet supplies at Petey’s shop. You will be helping us all by agreeing to this plan, Víctor.”
    Initially, Víctor dismissed the idea because he feared imposing on the colonel. But now it seems that by agreeing to a B&B, Víctor will actually be saving the small town of Bridgeport from bankruptcy.
    This is how Víctor comes around.

    But by the next evening, Víctor has changed his mind.
    “Sorry, guys,” he tells the group around the table. He and his daughters are having dinner with Linda’s family at the farmhouse. “But it really is too much of an imposition on Colonel Charlebois. We have to remember the colonel is not a young man. How old did you say he was going to be?” he adds, glancing over at Linda.
    But before Mami can answer, Essie has raised an outcry. “Papa, you heard him yourself, Colonel Charlebois
wants
to do a B&B!” Essie is close to tears, which is not like Essie at all. “He really did,” she assures Linda. “Right?” Tía Lola and the kids all nod.
    Linda is looking torn. She doesn’t want to disappoint any of the children, especially Víctor’s daughters, whose mother died three years ago. Víctor has been raising them on his own. Mami herself lost both her parents when she was a little girl, even younger than Cari. She was so lucky that Tía Lola stepped in to raise her. These girls need that same kind of lucky break. “A hotel takes a lot of work,” she tries to reason with them. “You’re all going to be super busy with school. And Tía Lola is teaching Spanish this year.”
    “I only teach twice a week,” Tía Lola points out. “Our B&B will open just on weekends.” They decided this back at Colonel Charlebois’s house. Start slow. See how it goes.
    “We want to start slow, see how it goes,” Victoria says, ever the peacemaker. “And Papa isn’t working. In fact, the whole reason …” Victoria catches herself, as her father is beaming a big red stop sign at her.
    Thankfully, Linda doesn’t seem to notice. “Remember, your father will soon have his hands full with cases and clients.”
    This is the moment when Papa should confess that he doesn’t want to practice law anymore. Instead, he casts an apologetic glance over at his brood and runs his hand through his black hair, which is what he does when he is feeling confused as to what to say or do.

    “I just don’t get why Papa won’t tell her the truth.” Essie looks over at Miguel and Juanita, as if they should know the answer just because Mami is their mother.
    The children have gathered up in Tía Lola’s room aftersupper to discuss the situation before the Swords head back to town.
    “Víctor is probably afraid of disappointing Linda,” Tía Lola explains.
    “But Mami would understand.” Juanita is sure of it. After all, her mother is a psychologist. People confess stuff to her all the time.
    “I think you’re right, Juanita,” Tía Lola agrees. “But Víctor knows how hard a time your
mami
had when she was married to your
papi
. There was never enough money.” The way Tía Lola explains it, Juanita and Miguel don’t feel like their aunt is blaming either parent. Just explaining why their mother might not want to marry a man who isn’t earning any money.
    “But if Víctor runs a B&B, he will be earning money!” Juanita throws her two hands in the air. How can Mami not understand something so simple? Juanita is only in fourth grade, but sometimes she feels a lot smarter than her own mother.
    Suddenly—or are